Phil Tataurangi: Beating the boredom trap

Phil Tataurangi

Golf is boring!

Or so I'm told. It's become one of golf's hotter topics of the summer: how to make the sport more entertaining.

The first thing you need to establish is this: is it the golf that's boring, or is it the golf on TV that's boring?

For the golf enthusiast watching the drama unfold and the champion crowned is entertaining in its own right.

But for the general sports fan or the occasional viewer, they want to be entertained and involved as if they are part of the action. Bottom line, the success of a sport depends on giving the fans bangs for their buck.

My thinking is with the television audience in mind. The spectators that come to the tournaments on the whole enjoy watching live golf and can follow whoever they wish.

Although I think there are several ways to enhance their experience, television is beamed to the masses and how the game is portrayed to them is a bigger concern.

Television bosses around the globe have been whispering that golf needs to brighten itself up. With so many rival attractions - not only other traditional sports but outdoor pursuits such as rock-climbing, sky-diving and skateboarding and a multitude of newer activities - golf needs to take a good, hard look at itself.

It needs to become interactive.

For example, there must be room for my mate Dave Blake sitting on his couch in Kohimarama to be able to be a part of the telecast.

One point I'd take issue with is that it's solely up to the players to be more appealing to spectators and television audiences.

When you talk players you are dealing with human nature. Some people are gregarious by nature, others are introverted and you cannot tell players they must change the personality traits which have made them successful.

You do not tell a tighthead prop with few media skills he's going to be moved to become a tryscoring winger and, by the way, you are now the captain.

Sure, some golfers can develop an unapproachable persona.

David Duval appears to use his impenetrable sunglasses as a type of barrier to revealing his emotions. Yet David off the course is a likeable guy. However, players are aware they have a responsibility to the fans and need to communicate in a way they are most comfortable.

There are many engaging personalities among the players. Often they are not brought out.

That needs to happen and in this I'd be looking hard at the respective tours, but also the television networks.

Think of John Daly, who is a crowd favourite worldwide.

His behaviour can be erratic, to say the least, and he pushes the etiquette of the game from time to time. But he connects with the average golf fan and still retains the ability to win tournaments with brilliant and entertaining golf.

There are also the Steven Alkers of the world who are less flamboyant yet are intriguing in their own special way. At the other end of the scale, think of current world No 1 Vijay Singh, who is playing better than anyone but does not endear himself to the public or the media.

It's all about brightening the package around the players and finding out what makes each one tick rather than forcing the players to change. This also takes participation from the guys and for the health of the Tour and our pockets it's a small sacrifice.

Putting microphones on the players? Maybe, but I have my doubts whether the audience is ready for what they might hear, be it technical golf terminology or simply colourful language.

Golf is still among the premier global sports. But it needs to stay alert and make sure it does not slip down the ladder as rival and younger sports step up and push their appeal to the mass market.

* Phil Tataurangi is one of New Zealand's leading professional golfers.